Burpee exercise is used alone or performed in combination, requires preliminary warm-up and adherence to the exact technique of execution. Due to the high speed of movements, it is not always clear for beginners how to do it correctly.
Before the start of intensive training, you should study in detail the order of execution and slowly, step by step, work out each element to consolidate. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury and pain due to internal damage to the joints and muscles.
What is Burpee and how is it superior to other techniques
Burpee (how to perform for beginners is described in the instructions later in the article) is based on rapidly alternating changes in body positions performed at the highest possible speed. The purpose of the complex, its inventor set the definition of endurance and physical training of the military personnel of NATO armies.
This exercise has nothing to do with Russian practice. Later, movement was taken as one of the training elements of amateur athletes and for fitness.
The exercise is considered universal and suitable for the vast majority of athletes:
- Adjustable intensity... Everyone is able to independently control the frequency of execution, which affects well-being and efficiency.
- Several major muscle groups are involved.
- Every move is simple, easily repeatable and familiar from school physical education lessons.
- Burpee does not require additional inventory, and the load is determined by the weight of your own body. There are some exceptions though.
- The number of repetitions is adjustable, there can be more of them if it is required to significantly increase the amount of burned Kcal.
Which muscles are involved
Each burpee position, with the exception of the starting position, entails a short-term load on a specific muscle group... The high repetition rate allows you not to overload one zone, ensuring a constant tone of each.
In the first position, a person takes a comfortable position: an even back, legs are slightly wider than the hip joint, toes are directed forward, arms are relaxed, lowered down.
The second pose is an arm squat. The bulk of the body puts pressure on the feet, the arms become the fulcrum. In some variations, not the entire palm is used, but fingers apart. When resting on the first third of the foot, the muscles of the calves are exposed to the load.If the squat is performed with a full foot support, the hips and buttocks are also involved in the pose.
The third position can be considered a classic bar.
When performed correctly, almost all muscle groups are exposed to active load:
- chest: large and small;
- on the back, a trapezoid is involved, which holds the body in a straight position;
- arms: triceps, deltoid;
- rectus, oblique abdominal muscles;
- gluteal and long muscles located on the lower back;
- rectus femoris, hamstrings, calf muscles;
- foot.
It is recommended to make the bar no more than 20 seconds. in one approach, which provides a better study of the internal muscles of the abdomen: transverse and straight. In burpee this aspect is fulfilled.
The fourth pose duplicates the second.
The fifth position is performed by jumping in place. The exercise involves the muscles of the thighs, calves, and the feet are subjected to significant dynamic loads.
Burpee (how to perform the entire process for beginners with precise fixation of poses will be described step by step later in the article) works a large number of muscles, although it does not require much time. But in case of execution errors, the necessary groups will not turn on, and the exercise will become traumatic for the muscles and ligaments.
What sports equipment are used in the Burpee technique
Despite the basic principle of working only with your own weight, over time, the constant repetition of the same complex leads to a loss of efficiency due to the lack of complication. The body gets used to the load, and with a decrease in weight, it also decreases.
Therefore, over time, athletes and coaches began to improve this type of physical activity with additional equipment:
- Weights... The simplest and most obvious way to complicate the task when working with your body weight will be weighting by any available means. Ankle and wrist weights are the first step. Such devices have limitations that you want to overcome, so the next step can be weights attached to the lower back. Such a belt carries a significant increase in weight, for which the spine may not be ready, so the use of such shells is not recommended.
- Curbstones or fitness platforms... The jump in the last stage of the movement can be replaced by jumping onto any stable platform. This will allow for double work, increase energy consumption and the time of active work of the leg muscles. At the same time, the complex of movements is supplemented. After straightening, before jumping out, you need to take a step towards the additional device, since it is located in front of the trainee half a meter. It is only important to choose a device that is in good contact with the floor and does not move, otherwise the risk of injury increases. The rubberized feet are the most popular.
- Barbell... It cannot be used in the form of weighting when performing burpees, since slowing down the movements will be catastrophic for the execution technique. But the sports device can be used as an obstacle, alternately moving from one side of the bar to the other while performing the bar. This will complement the technique, engage the thigh muscles, since overcoming will require performing lateral wide lunges.
How to progress from simple exercises to hard ones
Mastering the technique of performing any exercise occurs gradually. This principle is always laid in the foundations of teaching the training process.
Burpee is no exception, so you need to not only understand how to perform the exercise, but fix it at the muscle level. For beginners, this may seem unnecessary, but as training becomes more difficult, the lack of such a skill will affect body condition and the risk of injury.
To begin with, burpee is performed slowly, under the supervision of a trainer or an experienced friend. You need to remember the sequence of movements with the study of the correct setting of the palms and feet.It is also important to fix the position of the core so that later, when the speed of execution increases, it does not injure the spine.
The second stage is to increase speed without increasing the number of exercises. The number of repetitions and approaches depends on the physical condition, heart rate, well-being. Further, the amount gradually increases, which can reach 100 or more during the day.
If there is no worsening of the condition or pain that appeared unexpectedly during the complication, you can try to add inventory. When you enter it, you need to start execution from the first stage - slowly consolidating the correct technique.
Is it possible to train every day
Burpee is one of the exercises in a complex called CrossFit. It was developed at the beginning of the century, after which it was registered as a method for the development of the physical condition of the body. Despite the statements about the uniqueness of the idea, the philosophy was based on the principles of general physical fitness (general physical fitness) familiar to many.
Both CrossFit and GPP involve working out a number of exercises daily to improve endurance, strength, flexibility, and speed. Therefore, the repetition of the complex, often twice during the day, is mandatory, including burpee. This species is responsible for the endurance indicator.
Training duration
The duration of any workout depends on the program and the goal that the person sets at the beginning. This requires first determining the number of repetitions and approaches.
Burpee (how to do it for beginners, remember the order of movements and the time to complete them already in the first lesson), on average, together with jumping out, takes 30 seconds at low speed, and the rest between approaches is no more than 1-2 minutes. Therefore, for 30 burpees, 3 repetitions each will take 14-23 minutes. With an increase in the amount in the approach up to 5 times, the time will be reduced to 10-15 minutes.
A gradual increase in skill will help shorten your workout time. Increasing the speed, a person can perform up to 6-7 burpis per minute, that is, the entire daily complex of 30 exercises will take no more than 10 minutes. even taking into account the rest between sets. At the same time, it is important to maintain the correct movement technique so as not to injure the ligaments.
How many calories are burned
The amount of consumed Kcal depends on the intensity of muscle work, the total body weight of a person. The parameter can be determined approximately using a fitness bracelet that reads the heart rate. The average value of energy loss from one burpee is up to 1.5 Kcal. The figure given is correct for a man with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 90-95 kg.
When you feel the result of losing weight
Burpee is part of a set of several exercises. As a single occurrence, even a few tens of repetitions will not significantly change either the level of fitness or the rate of weight loss.
However, subject to the recommendations on the composition of the menu, its calorie content and physical activity during the day, the process of weight loss and fat loss will accelerate.
Restrictions on Burpee classes
Burpee (how to perform for beginners is described in detail, but most often the safety issue is overlooked), like any physical activity, carries the risk of injury. Moreover, if the rate of change in body position is high.
Therefore, the exercise has limitations:
- Injuries of any nature that hinder or change movement.
- Chronic diseases in the acute stage.
- Disorders of the heart and vascular system.
- Dizziness, high or low blood pressure.
- For girls - critical days, pregnancy, lactation.
Despite the simplicity of the list, many forget to clarify the nuances of well-being for the trainer, resulting in unpleasant consequences.
Burpee technique for beginners
Starting to perform any complex, a warm-up is carried out, which is mandatory for everyone, regardless of professionalism and training. Deviation from the recommendation will lead to stretching of unprepared muscles, injury to ligaments and tendons.
How to breathe correctly
When performing active exercises, adherence to the breathing pattern allows the physical processes in the body to proceed correctly. Lack of oxygen, on the contrary, causes stress and contributes to a deterioration in well-being, loss of orientation in space, and reduces the metabolic rate.
When performing complexes, you need to distribute breathing depending on the load. In this exercise, the principle of inhalation when straightening the body and exhalation when tilting, bending operates. This helps you figure out how to do the sequence correctly and also gives you a comfortable rhythm.
If you fail to follow the recommendations in the first stages, the rhythm is allowed to be broken. The main thing is to keep breathing fast enough to provide oxygen to the blood.
Technique and scheme for performing Burpee for weight loss
Burpee is part of a complex consisting of exercises of different intensity. Each is aimed at developing a certain quality of the human body.
Burpee helps to improve coordination and burn Kcal, so the technique and scheme for weight loss does not differ from the usual one. Differences will appear in the case of using additional equipment - pedestals or other elevation.
How to make exercise easier
There are two main difficulties in performing the complex - the correct sequence in compliance with the technique and rhythm. If you have the first one, you need to slow down and work out each movement, repeating and fixing the correct position of the foot, arms, body at the level of muscle memory.
Difficulty may also arise when the pace rises - difficulty breathing, lack of oxygen. In this case, it is also recommended to slow down to a comfortable pace or stop to recuperate. In some cases, the trainer recommends giving up the jump or replacing the plank pull-up with a wide lunge.
Making the exercise harder
The complication of burpees is carried out in two ways:
- The load during execution is due to the body weight, which increases to complicate. This can be done using belts, as well as weights that are attached to the ankles and wrists.
- The intensity of the load depends on the speed and the number of repetitions performed, therefore, these indicators increase to complicate.
There are no other techniques to complicate things.
Training program for beginners
Depending on the execution method, the loads may increase or decrease slightly. However, the deciding factor in choosing a particular training method is convenience.
Level 1: Low Impact Burpees with Chair
In this technique, there is a double relief at once - a platform for the arms, which reduces the load on the body, as well as the absence of jumping.
It is with this option that the execution of burpees begins:
- Place a chair without a backrest at arm's length. Stand in the original upright position in front of him.
- Smoothly lower the body without bending the spine. Place open palms on a chair.
- Leaning on your hands, smoothly move one leg back, straightening it completely. Do the same with the other leg, keeping your back straight.
- After a few seconds, just smoothly move your legs to the starting position, straighten up.
In this case, the main load is on the body and the press, which hold the body position.
Level 2: Low Impact Burpees on the Floor
The exercise is performed in the same sequence as the previous option, but there is no chair that reduces the depth of the incline.
This leads to an increased load on the chest and arms, but leaves the legs and buttocks less active due to the lack of jumping.
Level 3: Burpee without jumping out and push-ups
The exercise is used in complexes as a lightweight version of the burpee. Tilting the body and moving to the plank position by jumping do not differ from the classic version.
However, there is no push-up, which increases the intensity of the work of the arms and the press, and there is also no jumping out, which contributes to more active work of the hips, calves, and buttocks.
Level 4: Burpee No Push-ups
The absence of push-ups shortens the execution time of one burpee, which has a positive effect on speed.
This option allows you to include several repetitions in a complex that requires fast work.
Level 5: Classic Burpee with push-ups
This is considered a classic look, but the mid-sequence push-up is sometimes different.
The touch can be made not only with the chest, but also with the front of the thighs. At the same time, it is important to control every movement so as not to injure the body.
Common mistakes
Like any physical exercise, burpees are not always done correctly. Sometimes it takes more time to correct mistakes that are remembered than to memorize movements. This is due to muscle memory. But if the technique is wrong, you cannot continue to practice, as this will lead to injury to the spine and joints.
Heel ripping
Trainers recommend performing the exercise with a full foot, controlling its lifting "toe". This provides a larger area of support and a more gentle impact on the spine. However, this error is not critical; a short holding of the foot in a raised position is allowed.
Uneven back when leaning to the bar
A mistake that can affect itself after several years. When holding the plank, the sagging of the lower back or the bending of the body by the "wheel" must not be allowed. 
Because of this, the vertebrae are displaced relative to each other, which causes numerous diseases.
Pelvis lower or flush with the head when exiting the exercise
In these postures, the lumbar region is overloaded, which causes pain in various parts of the body. Even unexpected migraines can be the result of mistakes made in the gym or at home.
Burpee, included in the complex of daily activities, has a positive value if you know exactly how to do it correctly. Regardless of experience, both beginners and professional athletes will benefit from exercise.
Training video: burpee for beginners
Burpee for beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xdogGUMm5k